


The Riddles That You Speak

by past piginawig (orphan_account)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-26
Updated: 2012-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-19 14:06:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/574066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/past%20piginawig
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>About a coffee shop, stupid boys, and Zayn's probably-fake girlfriend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Riddles That You Speak

“I want that one I got last time, Harry,” Louis tells his best mate with a grin. “And I want it on the house.”

Harry raises an eyebrow and Louis ignores it along with Zayn’s undignified snort in the background. “You can’t get things free just ‘cause I work here, Lou.”

Louis pouts.

Harry sighs and makes him his stupid green tea. It is, of course, on the house.

“You’re going to end up getting sacked that way, mate,” Louis hears Zayn tell Harry as he mixes salt and sugar on the table he’s sat at. “If boss knew you were giving free stuff to your boyfriend-“

“Not boyfriends!” Harry and Louis express simultaneously.

“Besides,” Harry immediately picks up, “if your girlfriend was actually real you’d give her free stuff.”

Zayn groans and Louis laughs loudly. “That’s right, Zayn! How is your fake girlfriend?”

“She’s not fake-“  Zayn stops and breathes in deeply for a moment before continuing. “You’ve seen me talk on the phone with her. She’s not fake.”

Harry and Louis just share a chuckle and Zayn throws his hands up in exasperation before heading to the back and muttering, “I need a fag.”

“So Lou,” Harry says, his voice breaking the quiet in the small coffee shop, “are you just not going to class today, or…?”

“Well, Haz,” Louis answers, his voice taking on a theatrical tone and Harry has to fight to keep from actually wincing because there are  _customers_  in here- “I would be in my lovely Chemistry lab right now, doing… Chemist type things, mixing stuff and possibly setting things on fire, I’m really not sure what goes down in Chemistry class, to be quite honest. However, during the first lesson I may have accidentally propositioned my very attractive professor thinking he was another student-“

“ _Louis_ -“

“-and now am too ashamed to show my face in that particular Chemistry lab again.”

“It’s still the first week of school and you’re already skipping classes,” Harry mumbles, and Louis tells him to stop being such a mother.

“It would be different if it were my first year in uni. I’m a seasoned veteran, I know when it’s okay to skip now. I’ve learned.”

“Did you  _actually_  hit on your professor?” Harry asks, and Louis thinks he looks terrified to know the answer.

Louis just stares at Harry, prolonging whatever discomfort he can get out of him because not much can make the boy uncomfortable, and finally chuckles. “No, just don’t feel like leaving my best friend all alone at his first job!”

“’s not my first job, Lou,” Harry grumbles, then holds his finger up when he sees a customer waiting to order. Louis’ eyes follow Harry to the counter and finally over it and then double take when he sees the particular customer. It’s the usual love-at-first-sight, heart racing, palms sweating, butterflies in your stomach reaction that Louis has when he sees this boy, calmly ordering some kind of coffee that would usually make Louis want to wrinkle his nose, but now just makes him want to lick it straight out of this wonderful and beautiful boy’s mouth and-

“Lou,” Harry mock-whispers. “You’re staring.”

Louis shakes his head and notices that Harry has now moved back to his previous position by all the drink-making machines, and the boy is still standing awkwardly at the counter. There are three other customers in the coffee shop, obviously all students bent over textbooks and laptops (and Louis spares a second to think  _wow, really? Studying already in the first week of school?_ ) plus this gorgeous boy waiting on some kind of drink that Louis probably couldn’t pronounce the name of. Zayn had returned at some point from his smoke break and is taking the boy’s money to put into the register and giving him a receipt and Harry is spraying whipped cream on top of the drink and smirking at Louis as though he knows exactly what’s going on inside his head.

And, considering they’ve known each other since Harry was born, he probably does know. Louis still doesn’t think it’s a proper excuse for Harry to smirk.

And then Harry’s handing this lovely boy his drink and the boy is smiling, causing his pretty brown eyes to crinkle at the corners ( _oh my God_ ) and then he turns and leaves the shop, stepping outside and closing the door behind him. Louis watches with wide eyes as the boy sits at a table outside the door, setting his drink down and digging a textbook and a notebook out of his bag. Louis can’t hide the sigh of relief that he hasn’t entirely left yet.

“Oh my God,” he vaguely hears Zayn mutter. “He’s a thirteen year old girl.”

“The sad thing is that it’s not even the first time,” Harry says back, and Louis furrows his brows because they’re probably talking about him. He turns to look at Zayn and Harry, who are staring back at him with amused expressions on their faces, when the bell above the door dings and the boy walks back in empty handed. He rushes to the side counter and grabs a napkin and a straw, and then exits as quickly as he’d come in.

“God,” Louis whispers, “he’s beautiful.”

He’s broken from his reverie by Harry’s snort-bark-guffaw and Zayn’s chuckling. He turns to glare at his supposed best friend and his supposed best friend’s co-worker. “You just don’t understand true love.”

“True love?” Zayn repeats. “Yes, I, the one who has been steadily dating the same girl for three years, certainly don’t understand love. Please enlighten me, Lou. Let’s start with the name of your true love.”

Louis huffs and crosses his arms over his chest. Then he uncrosses them. Then he crosses them again.

“What’re you doing, mate?” Harry asks, staring at Louis’ flailing arms.

“Can I please go talk to him, Harry?”

Harry sighs. “Don’t be creepy, yeah?”

“No! I am never creepy!”

Harry levels him with a look and Louis looks sheepish. Zayn rolls his eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand you two.”

Louis just grins widely and jumps up; he leaves the mess of salt and sugar on the table with the knowledge that Harry will clean it up for him, and rushes to the door.

“Be cool, Tommo,” Harry says.

Louis pushes open the door and breathes in deeply before setting his sights on the lovely boy again. He’s currently bent over an open text book and Louis grins.

“Chemistry, eh?” He says, and the boy startles so badly he almost knocks over his drink. Louis presses on. “I think you and I could have chemistry.”

He considers adding a wink. He decides against it. Harry probably wouldn’t approve.

The boy just squints up at him, eyebrows furrowing. Louis wants to die because he is so fucking cute.

“History, actually,” the boy says quietly, his voice deep and smooth and rich and lovely.

“Well, we could make some of that, too, if you’d like.” Louis throws the wink in there. Screw Harry.

The boy’s eyebrows scrunch even further. Louis waits for him to speak. He doesn’t. Instead he turns his head around for a moment before swiveling back to glance at Louis. Louis is confused and turns to look inside the shop at Harry and Zayn for help, but sees them laughing behind the counter. He huffs.

“I’m sorry,” Louis’ attention shoots back to the boy, who looks tentative and awkward. “But, um, do I know you?”

Louis smirks. “Not yet, but we could definitely get to know each other.”

Louis wants to make sure he gets his point across. He winks again. The boy opens his mouth for a moment and then closes it. Then he says, “Well, I’m Liam?”

Louis chooses to ignore that it’s said like a question and answers, “Well, I’m Louis, and it’s nice to meet me.”

It’s not his best, he’ll admit it. But Liam makes a weird sound in response that could be some type of strange laugh so Louis takes it as a win. He pulls the chair opposite Liam out and sits down.

Liam stares at him and his mouth opens and closes again and it kind of reminds Louis of a fish. But a cute fish, really. Maybe one in  _Finding Nemo_. Liam is still staring at him.

“So, Liam,” Louis says, and bites the bullet. “You come here often?”

Liam squints. “Um, school just started. It’s the third day.”

“That’s…” Louis pauses, “not what I meant. Anyhow, have you got, erm, a girl-“

“Um, Louis?” Liam interrupts, and Louis wants to cry.  _So close_.

“Yes, Liam?”

“I, uh, I really have to study now, so…”

And Louis feels his heart tumble from his chest and into his stomach. A quick breath escapes his lips and he pastes a fake smile on his face that probably looks more like a grimace. He glances back inside the shop for a quick moment. Zayn is still looking amused, but Harry looks concerned, and Louis has never been happier that his best friend can read him so well.

“Okay,” is all he says to Liam before he stands up. He pushes in the chair and yanks open the door, ignoring the chill he gets from the air conditioning. He knows his face is already sulky but he doesn’t care. Harry rushes out from behind the counter and pulls him into a hug.

“’m sorry, Lou,” he whispers, and Louis mumbles unintelligibly. “His loss, really.”

“Okay,” Louis repeats. He pulls out of Harry’s embrace and plops back down at his table. He sighs.

*

Niall glances around the large room with wide eyes. It’s his second class on his third day of school and he already feels more overwhelmed than he ever has in his life. There’s not a single recognizable face in the entire room but there are two empty seats at the end of a row at the back of the room, so he trudges on until he reaches them and drops his bag on the table with a clunk. There’s a girl two seats over who is asleep, head resting on the table, and Niall fights a laugh. She’s got tattoos up and down her arms even though she can’t be older than eighteen.

Niall sits as the class fills up, all the empty seats being taken, chatter filling the room, until the door slams open with force and the entire class silences. A boy with curly hair slinks in and at least has the gall to look embarrassed at his entrance. His cheeks are red and he’s panting. His eyes scan the room before landing on the seat next to Niall.

Niall thinks the boy looks about thirteen but knows that’s impossible. He avoids eye contact as he rushes up to the back row and pulls out the empty chair, slumping into it.

Niall can’t help but glance over and is shocked to realize the boy doesn’t look like a  _boy_  at all. He’s got a chiseled jaw and sharp, bright green eyes and hair that looks perfectly styled into pretty curls but probably took nothing more than a quick shake to place. He’s got ridiculous lips and Niall wants to scream because he would be seated next to the sexiest thing he’s ever fucking _seen_  for the entirety of the semester.

“Uh, sorry,” the guy says, and his voice is deep and gravelly and Niall fights the shiver that wants to travel down his spine. “This seat taken?”

“No,” Niall responds quickly, and when his voice squeaks he coughs quickly and repeats himself. “No, it’s yours.”

“Irish!” He exclaims, and no, Niall’s never heard  _that_  before. “Irish accents are my favorite. Really sexy.”

And Niall was almost positive his heart couldn’t beat this fast, and yet here he is. He doesn’t know what on earth to say to that, but the guy doesn’t seem to have a problem carrying the conversation.

“I’m Harry, by the way,” he introduces himself with a smile.

“Niall,” he says, and for the first time really looks at Harry. His long lean legs and Converse shoes on the biggest fucking feet he’s ever seen and Niall  _knows_  what they say about big feet and for a fleeting second hopes to God it’s true and then- “you’re wearing an apron.”

Harry frowns and looks down at himself, and then he does this laugh that Niall is sure could give someone a heart attack. He’s not sure what to call it, but Harry’s hands fly over his mouth and he looks embarrassed. Niall has never adored someone more.

“Yeah, I, uh, work at a coffee shop right off campus. My best mate was having boy troubles and I had to console him, so I was running a bit late,” Harry explains as he reaches behind his neck to untie the apron strings. He struggles for a moment before- “Could you- I mean, do you think you could…?”

Niall nods and Harry turns in his seat so his back is to Niall. Niall is eternally grateful because it takes a few seconds for his hands to stop shaking. Once he’s untied the knot and Harry has removed the apron Niall catches the name written in curly letters on the front.  _It’s a Grind._

*

“Liam,” Niall says as soon as he bursts through the door of their shared flat.

Liam glances up from his phone and Niall grins widely. “Go away, Niall, I’m studying.”

Niall ignores him and sits next to him, flipping the textbook that was open on Liam’s lap shut. Liam stutters indignantly and Niall ignores that, too.

“I met the sexiest guy today,” Niall begins, and Liam rolls his eyes. “We’re going to stalk him at work tomorrow.”

“Oh, Niall,” Liam says, and it sounds pitying. Niall just grins. Liam sighs. “Where’s he work?”

“That coffee shop right off campus,  _It’s a Grind_. Heard of it?”

Liam’s brown eyes widen considerably and Niall frowns. “What?”

“I went there today to study,” Liam begins. “There was this… This guy there.”

“Okay…”

“He… He followed me outside and talked to me. And he like, sat down at my table and kept talking to me. I don’t really know what he was on about, really. Kept saying weird stuff. And then I told him I had to study.”

Niall frowns. “What kind of weird stuff? Creepy weird?”

“Um, he asked if I was studying Chemistry. And then he said something about us having Chemistry together? But I’m not even taking that class this semester.”

Niall cackled.

“What?!”

“He was hitting on you, you absolute idiot!”

All the color seems to drain from Liam’s face and Niall whacks him upside the head. “You told him you had to study? He made the effort to flirt with you and you sent him away?”

Liam groans and drops his head in his hands. He mumbles something that Niall can’t understand and then lifts his head again. “And he was so cute, too!”

“Well,” Niall says, “I guess that means we’ll just have to go back.”

Liam groans. Niall grins.

*

“Are you skipping class again, Lou?” Harry asks when Louis steps into the coffee shop. Louis makes a face at his friend and holds a hand out expectantly. “I can’t actually read your mind, you know.”

“Can I please have a tea? And I’ve got an off period, I was just in English. Stop mother henning me.”

Harry goes to make the drink and Louis sits at his usual table and grabs a salt shaker and a sugar packet from the side counter.

“Could you not? That’s hell to clean up,” Harry says, and Louis gasps.

“Harold, you should watch your language! You have customers!” The two look around at the empty coffee shop and Harry rolls his eyes.

“Loueh!” Zayn exclaims, stepping inside the back door and catching sight of Louis. Louis grins back and then takes the tea that Harry is holding out for him. “Did you get that for free again?”

Louis shakes his head innocently. Zayn rolls his eyes.

“So, Zayn, have you talked to your girlfriend lately?” Louis asks, extra emphasis on the ‘girlfriend’. Zayn huffs.

“Would you cut it out? Do you want to see a picture or something?”

“Not particularly,” Louis replies, grin on his face. “I’d like to meet her. In person. Prove she’s not a figment of your weed-addled imagination.”

Zayn throws his hands up in exasperation. “How many times do I have to tell you I don’t smoke weed?!”

Louis shrugs and Harry cackles. Zayn bangs his head against the counter and Louis feels tears forming in his eyes.

“You’re so high right now,” he laughs. Zayn looks like he’s going to cry. Louis opens his mouth to taunt his friend some more when the bell over the door rings and the three boys all turn their attention to the customer entering.

Louis is almost positive he’s hallucinating because Liam is walking in the door, tight jeans and tighter shirt and a soft expression on his pretty face. He tries not to stare as Liam walks to the counter and it isn’t until he hears Harry exclaim, “Niall!” that he realizes there is another person with him.

The other boy is blonde and skinny and seems to know Harry, if the greeting is anything to go by. Louis isn’t sure when Harry went around making friends without him but if it lead to Liam coming back then he won’t fault him. The blonde boy orders something in a loud Irish accent and Louis pours salt onto the table. He doesn’t look up when he hears Liam’s soft voice ordering something. It’s quieter than yesterday, and he can’t understand what he’s saying, but it has to be something really complicated because he’s taking forever to order.

Louis is opening the sugar packet when the blonde Irish boy says, “hi!” right by his side.

“Hullo,” Louis answers, eyes drifting to Liam, who is leaning against the counter and saying something to Harry, who is writing on a cup.

“What’re you doing?”

Louis shrugs, keeping his eyes down. “Bugging Zayn; playing with salt and sugar; keeping Harry company. The usual.”

The boy scoots closer and Louis looks up. Liam is still talking to Harry. He tries not to think anything of it. “Um, are you Harry’s boyfriend, or..?”

“No!” Louis cries, shaking his head quickly. Both Liam and Harry glance up at his outburst and he bites his lip. “Best mate, actually.”

The boy gets a funny look on his face that seems like recognition but Louis doesn’t understand so he goes back to pouring sugar onto salt. Louis hears his footsteps walk away and drags a finger through the mixture on the table in front of him. He makes shapes until a shadow covers his perfectly crafted triangle. When he looks up, Liam is standing there, looking sheepish with a hot drink in his hand.

“Hi,” Liam says softly, and Louis hates himself for smiling right away.

“Hi,” he responds.

Liam gestures to the seat in front of him and cocks an eyebrow. Louis nods. It’s silent between them, the only noise in the shop Harry and Niall’s voices on the other side of the room, until Liam says, “I don’t have to study today.”

“Oh?” Louis responds, willing himself not to get his hopes up. He fails when he sees a slight blush on Liam’s cheeks.

“No. I reckon I was a bit rude yesterday. Thought I’d make up for it.”

Louis smiles widely. He opens his mouth to say something cheeky when Zayn’s voice interrupts them all.

“Vas happenin’?” He shouts, and then he frowns. “Did you all make friends without me?”

“Sorry, Zayn,” Harry says, “you’re a bad influence on us.”

Louis chuckles at Zayn’s eye roll. He’s already pulling his phone out of his pocket and Louis laughs. “Calling your fake girlfriend to complain about us, are you?”

Zayn sighs for a minute and then says into the receiver, “my friends are idiots,” and then he leaves again. Harry cackles.

“Fake girlfriend?” Liam asks, and Louis returns his attention to the boy sitting in front of him.

“Absolutely. He’s made her up because he’s high literally all the time.”

Liam’s eyes widen comically.

“Don’t worry, though, you’d never know,” Louis says. “He’s a really good actor.”

Liam laughs and his eyes crinkle at the sides and Louis is positive this is what it feels like to fall in love.

“Although,” he continues, if only to make Liam never stop laughing, “For the token straight guy in our friendship he’s quite gay. He’s constantly talking about needing a fag.”

And Liam is doubled over and Louis is sure he can see tears in his brown eyes. Louis is laughing along and suddenly Liam quiets down, his laughter fading into chuckles, and he says, “So you’re not… You’re not straight, then?”

Louis can’t control his reaction. He wrinkles his nose and shakes his head vehemently.  Liam’s cheeks flush and he looks down at the table, but he’s smiling, and Louis counts that as a win.

“So, um, this your off period?” Liam asks after a moment of silence. Louis nods and asks the same. “Yeah. Me and Niall have classes at the same time. We’re uh, we’re here ‘cause he’s got a class with your friend and wanted to come flirt with him. But don’t tell anyone I said that.”

Louis acts indignant. “I thought you came to talk to me!”

Liam’s eyes widen and he frowns. “No, no, I mean- yes, that, too, just-“

Louis’ laugh interrupts him and he sighs playfully. “That was a joke.”

“Yes,” Louis states with a grin. Liam laughs softly.

“I really did,” he says, “also come to see you. Would’ve been disappointed if you hadn’t been here.”

Louis can feel the heat rushing to his cheeks and he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care because this amazing boy in front of him came to see him. He wants to sing and dance and scream and-

“Li? Got class soon, yeah?” Liam looks up at his friend’s voice. Louis wants to cry. “We should get going.”

Liam looks torn and then he turns to Louis and smiles. “It was really good talking to you, Louis.”

“Yeah,” Louis replies, breathlessly. Liam bites his lip and stands up, giving a little wave, and leaving with the blonde.

“My God,” Harry says, breaking Louis from his reverie. “Fucking hot Irishman from my class stalked me at work. I’ve got a date.”

Louis pouts. “I don’t.”

Harry gives him a sly grin and points at the cup Liam had left on the table.

“No,” he says, “But you got a number.”

*

“Is there like, a three day rule with texting?” Louis asks. Harry groans.

“Just text him, Lou! He gave you his number for a reason,” he says, wiping the counter with far more pressure than Louis thinks is probably necessary.

“Yes but,” Louis begins, and Harry holds his hand up to stop him. Louis, surprising even himself, does.

“No buts. Text him a hello, and when he responds ask him if he’d like to hang out. It’s that simple. Do it on Friday night when Niall and I are on my date, that way you can have the flat to yourselves.”

Louis still isn’t sure, but he implicitly trusts Harry. Still, he looks up with a questioning glance.

“It’s been over twenty-four hours since he gave you the number. I really think it’s okay.”

Louis nods and unlocks his phone, opening a new message.

_Hey! :)_ _it’s Louis from the coffee shop :)_

He shows the message to Harry who bites his lip.

“Maybe get rid of one of the smileys?”

Louis nods again and fixes the message, setting Liam as the recipient. He sends the message and tosses the phone away from him on the table. Harry snorts. Louis stares at his phone and worries his lower lip between his teeth.

His jump when his phone vibrates against the wood on the table sends Harry into hysterics, which brings Zayn in from his smoke break to laugh at Louis as well. But Louis doesn’t care because Liam’s texted back.

_Hi Louis ! how r u ?_

Louis can’t contain the grin that wants to break out on his face as he quickly types back  _great, actually, I was wondering if you’d like to hang out on Friday?_  and then setting the phone down in a much calmer manner than before.

“I don’t remember freaking out this much when I first met Tammy,” Zayn comments, and it’s a testament to how happy Louis is that he doesn’t make a remark about his fake girlfriend.

Harry, however, doesn’t resist. “And when did you two first meet, Zayn? Were you sleeping or just high?”

Louis starts to laugh but then his phone buzzes again and he can’t be bothered, instead snatching it up and reading the text with a fast beating heart.

_Of course! Wat u wanna do ?_

Louis thinks that under normal circumstances the atrocious spelling and grammar would appall him but finds himself thinking it endearing coming from Liam. He ignores the signal in his brain saying  _you’re in too deep_  and texts back.

*

“Niall just texted, Lou,” Louis looks up from the book he’s been pretending to read for the past hour to pass the time. “They’ll be here in about five minutes.”

“Okay,” Louis chokes out. He ignores Harry’s eyes, the way he can feel them boring into the side of his head. He looks back down at his book and tries to find a good place to start reading but nothing about World History seems particularly interesting and then there is knocking on the door and  _Harry said five minutes_.

But Harry is already doing his hair flip and checking to make sure he’s presentable in the hall mirror on his way to the door. Louis would usually call out a “ _you look great, love_ ,” or a “ _your arse is phenomenal in those_ ,” but he’s too nervous at the moment because Liam is on the other side of that door.

Louis closes his text book and places it on the coffee table in front of where he’s seated on the couch and stands, dusting off imaginary lint from his trousers and smoothing invisible wrinkles from his gray t-shirt.

“Lou,” Harry’s voice calls from the entry way, and Louis takes the four steps necessary to reach the hall. “Liam’s here. Niall and I are going to see  _The Apparition_ , I’ll be home in two or three hours. Don’t burn the place down, yeah?”

Louis grins at the sight of Liam standing awkwardly beside Harry in the entry way, tight pants and a black shirt that Louis wants nothing more than to rip off. Harry  _ahem_ s quietly and Louis jumps, tearing his eyes away from Liam’s biceps and landing on Harry, who has a huge smirk on his face.

“That was like, one time. ‘Sides, I figured Liam and I would order something in,” Louis answers, and then looks back to Liam. “If that’s alright with you, that is.”

“Yeah,” Liam says quietly, a small smile on his face. Louis nods and smiles back. Harry heads out the door with a “bye” thrown over his shoulder, but Louis catches him tell Niall, “it’s been four times. He’s almost burnt the place down four times.”

“It really hasn’t been,” Louis tells Liam earnestly. And then he says, “Well, come on in, we’ve got some movie channels and video games and, my personal favorite, YouTube.”

“YouTube, really?” Liam asks. He steps farther into the flat, following Louis into the small living area. Louis gestures him to the couch and then takes the seat next to him, leaving an appropriate amount of space for – well, he’s not sure what for. But he knows it’s appropriate. For something.

“Absolutely! I have a lot to teach you about YouTube, Liam-“ he stops and frowns. “I don’t know your last name.”

“Payne.”

“Tomlinson. Nice to officially meet you, Liam Payne.”

Liam grins and the corners of his eyes crinkle a bit and Louis decides it’s his favorite thing.

“So,” Liam says after a moment of awkward smiling at each other. “YouTube?”

“Later,” Louis answers, grabbing the remote from the arm of the couch and flipping the telly on. “For now we should find a lame movie and order in, yeah?”

“Okay.”

Louis aimlessly flips through the channels because he can never remember which station the movie listing is on. He notices Liam is sitting rigidly and with his shoes still on and frowns. “You can, um, get comfortable. You know, like, I won’t mind if you take your shoes off, or whatever. It’s fine. Um.”

And Louis can’t remember the last time he said that many ‘um’ and ‘like’s in a sentence but it has him flushing and he notices Liam’s flushing as well. He mumbles something that Louis can’t make out but he shoves his shoes off and pulls his feet up, crossing his legs under his bum.

“Better,” he grins and goes back to the television. When he finally lands on the movie channel, he nudges Liam and says, “Tell me if you see something you like.”

“Okay.”

Louis slowly scrolls through the movies until Liam says, “Friends with Benefits. What’s that?”

“That one with Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. Or the one with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. I honestly couldn’t tell you which.”

Liam giggles, honest to God giggles, and Louis bites his lip to stop himself from leaning over and kissing him quiet.

“That’s fine with me,” Liam relaxes further into the couch. “If it’s good for you.”

“Yeah,” Louis agrees, starting the movie. “Before it gets too far, do you want to order dinner?”

“Sure, what are you thinking?”

“Honestly?” Louis pauses. “Something greasy.”

“Pizza?”

Louis smiles widely. “I think I’m really going to like you, Liam Payne.”

*

“I’m just warning you,” Harry tells Niall as they get situated in the back row of the theater, “I am a scaredy cat. And a cuddler. We should honestly just lift the arm rest now, there’s no point to it.”

Niall ducks his head and smiles as Harry lifts the arm rest between them. Niall can feel the body heat radiating off of Harry, is hyperaware of where the skin of their arms is brushing. He can barely concentrate on eating his popcorn and Harry keeps reaching over and stealing pieces when the movie finally starts.

The first scene is a lot of commotion that Niall can’t keep up with. He’s squinting at the screen and wants to ask Harry questions but Harry seems into what’s happening so he stays quiet. But then.

“Hey,” he says, “That’s the Twilight girl, yeah?”

Harry chuckles into his shoulder and whispers, “How should I know?”

Niall gives him an incredulous look that he’s sure Harry doesn’t even see. “Don’t tell me you’ve never watched Twilight.”

There’s a shushing sound from a few rows in front of him and Niall rolls his eyes and Harry giggles some more. He manages to keep quiet for a while but the movie isn’t keeping his attention. He doesn’t care about this cactus or tent this couple is buying. He doesn’t care about their giant ass house except for-

“How can they even afford this house?”

There’s another shush and Niall huffs.

“They just said,” Harry whispers, breath hot in his ear, “That it’s her parents’ house.”

Niall can’t really formulate a response aside from the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. He manages a nod and feels more than hears Harry laugh.

As the movie continues Niall only gets more and more confused. He doesn’t understand the weird mold and- “Why is she never wearing pants?”

Harry barks out a laugh that has more than one person shushing them, so he hides his face in Niall’s shoulder until his amusement dies down.

Once Harry is calm he lifts his head up but keeps his body pressed against Niall’s. Niall notices his hand resting right against his leg, so close that just a few inches and he could grab it. He is just about to reach for it when-

“Sorry, sirs?” Niall looks up at the voice by his side and sees a security guard. He bites his lip. “There have been some complaints about the noise level. If you could please keep it down, it would be appreciated.”

Niall can feel Harry laughing silently beside him, so he just nods at the guard who goes to stand at the end of the row.

They last a well enough amount of time. Sometime during a scene that Niall didn’t really find frightening but seemed to terrify Harry, Harry had grabbed his hand and held on. It took about five minutes for Niall to gather his courage and link their fingers, and when he did, Harry leaned over and nosed his ear for a moment before falling back into his own seat.

But now Twilight-girl and her boyfriend are calling an elusive character and when he arrives it’s actually Tom Felton.

And Niall really can’t help it. “Look, Draco Malfoy’s back!”

He would be a bit more upset about being kicked out of the theater for the first time if Harry hadn’t held his hand on the way to the car and whispered, “Want to come to my place?” in his ear.

*

“That’s ridiculous!”

Liam’s laugh fills the flat and Louis shakes his head earnestly, but he can’t hide that he’s laughing too. “No, I swear, he just burst in and-“

The door slams open and Louis and Liam both jump, eyes wide.

“Um,” Liam says.

Louis crinkles his eyebrows and stands up slowly, leaning forward as far as he can to peek into the hallway and when he catches sight of the source of the noise he groans loudly.

“Really, boys?” He groans again. “Can you at least wait until you’re in the bedroom?”

“Is that Niall and Harry?” Liam asks and Louis can only groan again. He falls gracelessly onto the couch and sighs when he hears the door close softly. Harry and Niall enter the room. They both have flushed faces but that’s where the similarities end. Niall is looking very sheepish and is sporting a rather bright red mark on the side of his neck. Harry, however, is looking smug, a smirk on his swollen and dark pink lips.

“Oh my God,” Liam mutters.

“I agree, Liam. Oh my God.” Louis shakes his head shamefully. “Here we are, enjoying a lovely night in, having a great time, watching movies and eating pizza and having wonderful conversation, when suddenly we’re attacked with this horrid image. Well, you didn’t actually get the image. Trust me, you’re lucky. Every time I close my eyes to go to sleep tonight I’ll see Harry trying to  _eat_  Niall’s neck.”

Harry lets out a small chuckle.

“Stop looking so proud of yourself.” Louis shakes his head again.

“Oh, you guys had pizza?” Niall asks. “Any left? I’m starved.”

“We had a large popcorn at the theater!”

Niall shrugs.

“He can eat forever. Never stops. No one’s really sure where it all goes,” Liam informs Harry as Niall grabs a slice of pizza from the box in the kitchen. When he returns, Louis notices Harry’s staring at him with an adoring glint in his eye. He believes Harry may be in this for more than someone to make out with, and Louis can’t decide if he’s happy for Harry or jealous that he himself has no one to make out with. He looks at Liam, who’s watching Niall with a bored expression on his face, and frowns. He and Liam had spent the same amount of time with one another as Harry and Niall did, and only one of them ended the night making out.

*

“Do you think that means he only likes me as a mate?”

Harry groans into the pastry he’s eating. “Would you give it a rest?”

“No, I will not give it a rest, Harry. I have been working on this for three weeks now. Three! And still, the most I’ve gotten out of him is a hug! And not even a particularly long hug, either!”

“Maybe he’s not the type to make first moves?” Harry suggests with a careless shrug.

“I already made the first move! And the second and third! I’ve invited him over, I’ve taken him to dinner-“

“At a pub, Lou. Not exactly romantic.”

Louis ignores Harry and continues. “-And I invited him to the library to study.”

“Yeah, that’s a way to get in a guy’s pants. Books.” Louis hears Zayn snort from his place at the counter where he’s serving a customer.

“Liam likes studying, Harry. I’m trying to play on his interests. You don’t even know what Niall likes because all you two do is stick your tongues down each other’s throats.”

Harry rolls his eyes and huffs and levels Louis with his serious look. “Louis, I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe he just doesn’t know you’re interested. Maybe he’s shy. Maybe he doesn’t like you back. Point is, you’re never going to know unless you ask him.”

Louis pouts. “You’re not supposed to suggest that he doesn’t like me back, Harry. You’re supposed to analyze everything he does and explain to me why he does like me.”

“I need a fucking fag and I’m not even in this conversation,” Zayn mutters as he heads out the back door, phone already up to his ear. Louis, again, doesn’t have it in him to joke about his fake girlfriend.

Harry just stares at Louis and for once in his life Louis can’t figure out what the look means. The two are in an awkward silence until someone at the counter clears their throat.

“I’ve gotta get to work, Lou,” Harry tells him.

Louis stops going to the coffee shop between classes.

*

Niall groans loudly, causing Liam’s head to shoot up from where he had positioned himself in a ball on the couch. “Can you stop moping now?”

“No,” Liam answers gruffly before his head falls back to its previous position.

“Really, mate, this is getting ridiculous. When was the last time you showered?”

“The last time me and Louis hung out,” Liam says with a sigh. “That was three days ago. He’s only texted me four times since then. None of them had cute emoticons.”

Niall tries not to laugh.

“I thought you said he was flirting with me, Niall.”

Niall sits on the couch next to Liam and rests a hand on his back. He’s always unsure of how to comfort Liam.

“You and Harry just hit it off so well and I thought that maybe me and Louis would too but it just… Nothing’s happened. We just hang out and nothing ever happens.”

Niall isn’t sure what to say so he just rubs circles into Liam’s back through his shirt. Liam sighs and closes his eyes. Once he’s asleep, Niall stands up and leaves the flat, a certain destination in mind.

*

“Hey, babe,” Harry grins widely, and Niall can’t help but smile back. There’s a skip in his step as he makes his way to the counter and he ignores Zayn’s catcalls when he leans over and kisses Harry’s lips. “What are you doing here? Thought you had class soon?”

“I do, but I wanted to ask you about something first,” he says, biting his lip. Harry nods encouragingly and Niall takes the plunge. “Does Louis, um… Does Louis like Liam?”

Harry’s eyes  widen and Niall bites down on his lip again.

“Well,” Harry starts, his voice shaky. “Um, that depends on your definition of the word ‘like’, I suppose.”

“Liam just. He was so excited when he gave Lou his number, and when he asked him to hang out. And then afterward he was so disappointed because he hadn’t made a move on him and he didn’t understand why. So he kept giving him chances, kept hanging out with him and texting him and calling him but he’s a bit hurt that nothing’s happened. And he’s curled in a ball on the sofa.”

Niall is confused when Harry bangs his head against the counter.

“That’s not exactly the answer I was looking for, Harry,” Niall says awkwardly.

“He is such a fucking idiot,” Harry mumbles, and Niall gasps.

“Hey, he’s my best mate, he’s not-“

“Not Liam,” Harry interrupts. Niall’s shoulders sag in relief. “Louis. He’s been pouting and complaining and whining and being annoying and jealous and awful because he’s too scared to make a move on Liam. He’s been taking it out on me and now he won’t talk to me because I got sick of it.”

“Well I think it’s about time we intervened, wouldn’t you say?” Niall grins at the way Harry’s eyes light up. He can practically see his brain whirring, already thinking of a plan.

*

“Hey, Lou,” Louis hears Harry’s voice calling out to him. He jumps up from his bed and sticks his head out of his room in confusion, clutching the door frame so he doesn’t fall.

“Are we speaking again?” He calls out cautiously.

“Yeah,” Harry answers softly. Louis nods and comes out of his room, sitting down on the sofa where Harry’s already made himself comfortable. “I wanted to ask you something, actually.”

Louis nods slowly. He doesn’t like the gleam in Harry’s eyes.

“This Friday Niall, Liam, Zayn, and I are all going out to that pub you really like and I want you to come. I know things have been weird between us the past few days but I miss you, Lou,” Harry says, and Louis melts.

“I miss you, too, Haz,” he answers, falling into Harry’s already outstretched arms. “Sorry I’ve been a twat.”

“S’okay, I was a bit of one, too, really,” he feels Harry’s fingers make their way into his hair and he sighs, snuggling deeper into the sweater Harry’s wearing. “I got caught up in being in a new relationship and I was ignoring your problems. It wasn’t a very nice thing to do.”

Louis just mewls and closes his eyes.

*

Louis spends the entire week texting with Liam. He learns that Niall had spent an hour convincing him of going, and he only agreed because he found out Louis would be there, too. Louis had grinned so widely his cheeks began to hurt.

 _Im so tired i could fall asleep right here at my desk_ , Liam sends Friday afternoon. Louis grins and types out a response, ignoring the sign at the front of the classroom that reads ‘no cell phones’.

_Been there done that! Falling asleep in class is nothing, payne!_

_Is 4 me im a good person_

_Are you calling me a bad person???_

_Yes :)_

Louis bites his lip hard to keep a ridiculously goofy grin from appearing on his face in the middle of class and before he can respond his phone buzzes again.

_Im so hungry i could eat my foot_

He can’t fight the smile after that, no matter how hard he bites his lip.

*

Harry has to drag him into the pub when Louis catches sight of Liam through the window.

“Look how pretty he is, Harry,” he moans loudly, ignoring the strange looks from passersby. “I can’t do this. He’s too pretty.”

“You’ve hung out with him before, Lou,” Harry reminds him with a laugh. He grabs his hand and pulls him to the door.

“Harry!”

Louis laughs at Niall’s loud greeting from across the room and feels a little weight lift off his shoulders when Liam turns around and gives him a small smile. He waves back and Liam’s cheeks flush. He’s sure his own are bright pink but he follows Harry through the pub and to the table Niall, Liam, and Zayn have already procured.

Harry plops down in the open chair next to Niall and the only empty seat left is next to Liam. Louis is positive he’s being set up and suddenly his nerves are on overdrive. He watches as Niall and Harry exchange looks and then turn to stare at he and Liam and he thinks,  _oh, God, this is the actual end_.

“Hey,” Liam says softly. Louis turns to look at him and smiles and wills his heart to stop beating so fast.

“Hi,” Louis replies, voice just as quiet. Liam isn’t exactly smiling with his mouth but his eyes are crinkled at the corners the way Louis loves it and he wants to just reach over and do something, anything. Liam ducks his head after a moment and reaches for his drink, taking a sip of what looks like Coke, when-

“Sorry you’re a bit of a fifth wheel on our double date, Zayn,” Harry’s voice is louder than usual and Liam chokes, sputtering and coughing.

Niall, who is seated on Liam’s other side, pats Liam on the back. “Alright there, Liam? Need Lou to give you mouth-to-mouth?”

Louis’ eyes widen and he’s almost positive he’s just been transported into a terrible comedy where his entire life is the joke. Liam is bright red and his mouth is open. Louis knows his own mouth is making fish-out-of-water noises but he feels a bit helpless to stop it. Harry is laughing and Niall is just grinning at Liam like he has no cares in the world and then-

And then a girl walks up to their table and plops down in Zayn’s lap.

“Um,” Harry says.

The girl wraps her arms around Zayn’s neck and kisses him on the mouth. Louis can’t quite believe what he’s seeing.

“Who exactly, um,” he starts, then pauses because his mind is completely reeling. “Who are you?”

The two separate with a loud smack and Zayn has a huge shit-eating grin on his face when he says, “Boys, meet my girlfriend, Tammy.”

Louis’ jaw drops. “Does that mean you genuinely don’t smoke pot?”

Tammy turns in Zayn’s arms. “When did you start smoking pot?”

Louis can’t help but laugh when Zayn sighs loudly and says, “I told you my friends were idiots.”

But when Louis laughs, his whole body shakes, and Liam is still so close and it’s like he’s being electrocuted when their arms brush together. His breath catches in his throat and he slowly turns to face Liam, who is just staring at him, brown eyes wide and a little confused but so open and Louis is  _sick_  of waiting.

“Will you come outside with me?”

Louis is thankful that all Liam does is nod, because he’s not sure he could hear anything outside of the loud drumming of his heart. He stands up and waits for Liam to stand before turning on his heel and walking toward the door, turning around twice to make sure Liam is still right behind him. When they’re outside, he grabs Liam’s hand and pulls him along toward a secluded corner of the building, backing himself up against the brick wall and letting go when Liam is right in front of him.

“Harry... when he said we were on a date,” Louis begins with his eyes shut, afraid that if he speaks looking into Liam’s eyes he won’t be able to finish. “When he said we were on a date he wasn’t… He wasn’t wrong. At least, from my side of things.”

It’s quiet apart from the city noises around them and Louis slowly opens his eyes only to be met with a blinding grin.

“Yeah?”

Louis feels relief seep through his pores and drain all the nervous energy he’d had before, and he smiles back. “Yeah, of course. I was hitting on you from the beginning, remember?”

“Yeah, but,” Liam looks at the ground. “I thought when you just asked to hang out that you only wanted to be friends. Because I was so rude to you the day we met. Wouldn’t have really blamed you, anyway.”

Louis shakes his head and still can’t keep the small smile off his lips. “Nah, you were cute enough to get away with it.”

Liam giggles softly and looks up, brown meeting blue, and Louis feels like they’re really  _seeing_  each other for the first time.

“Does that mean I can kiss you now? I’ve wanted to for a long time,” he says, and is caught off guard when Liam doesn’t answer, just leans in and brushes their lips together once, softly, before pulling away.

“Yeah,” he whispers, “You can kiss me.”

So Louis does.

*

“They’ve returned!”

Louis watches as Liam blushes bright red. He grins to himself as they sit back down at the table where Tammy now has a chair for herself. Everyone at the table is quiet, staring at Louis and Liam and Louis knows Liam feels awkward, can feel the tension radiating from him.

So he says, “Well, I say it’s about time we get this triple date started, yeah?”

And he knows everyone at the table is speaking to him, their voices loud and filtering through his ears, but Louis can’t take his eyes off Liam. Liam, who is staring at him with a bright smile that crinkles the corners of his even brighter eyes.

“A date, huh?”

Louis chuckles softly and reaches over to grab Liam’s hand. He laces their fingers together and lets himself think about how perfectly they fit.

“Yeah,” he responds happily. “A date.”

 


End file.
